1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to devices for capturing aquatic animals and, more specifically to aquatic animal traps designed to decrease overall time involved in harvesting aquatic animals while maintaining total harvest.
2. Prior Art
A lack of efficiency exists in the crayfish industry because it has been assumed that two to three funnel cone or pillow mesh type traps are the best means of harvesting crayfish. This assumption has resulted in an expanding industry dependent on increasing labor without increasing trap efficiency. Little serious research has been done on increasing trap size and the number of funnels per trap. Current traps are passive storage chambers of wire or plastic mesh, without internal support, and require much handling to extract crayfish. Over time, traps can become deformed through use, fall over, become lost and/or stolen. Also, a review of prior art shows that exterior shapes are simple, funnels are close together, and animal storage areas make up the majority of the trap space.